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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25096645">Flight Pattern</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marinia/pseuds/Marinia'>Marinia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gilded Cage-Series [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fae, Ballet, Ballet Dancer Roman, Dad Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dad Morality | Patton Sanders, Domestic Bliss, Escape, Fae &amp; Fairies, Gardens &amp; Gardening, Gen, Hurt Roman, Hurt Virgil, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Angst, M/M, Married Couple Moceit, Protective Morality | Patton Sanders, cottage, nature sprites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:54:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25096645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marinia/pseuds/Marinia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><i> “The sheer audacity,” Janus complained to the compost crate, “you’d think he’d have grown up in the last fifty years.” But he couldn’t bite back his smile, eyes finding the horizon with a decidedly dreamy sheen. Janus squinted, when two figures between the trees broke the picture of the forest he’d lived in for close to half a century.  <br/>"Darling, I think we might be getting a visitor!" </i> </p>
<p>Janus and Patton get two guests who fled from what just might be hell.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gilded Cage-Series [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643770</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Flight Pattern</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The name is from this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrNfZ6pCn9M <br/>Which also loosely inspired the moceit in this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Patton sat bent over one of the patches littering the space around their little cottage. He was humming a melody to himself while pulling up the weeds whose seedlings poked out of the earth, right next to the potatoes Janus and he had planted last year. The sun was beating down onto his back and the summer sprite soaked up its light, brown skin almost glowing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His beauty tore Janus from his own gardening, abandoning the herbs he’d been sorting through for their stew. Janus was stuck, just looking at his gorgeous husband. He was always beautiful, of course, but his summer sprite looked downright ethereal in his sun’s light. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The autumn sprite walked over to Patton, kneeling on the soil next to him; his husband looked up, smiling when he saw him.  Janus kissed him, softly, reverently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton hummed, taking hold of Janus' arms, the soil still sticking to his fingers staining his husband’s skin, a stark contrast against the snow-white patches on Janus' brown skin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, that's a nice way to say that you want to help me get rid of these weeds," he said, laughing when Janus started sputtering. He hated getting his hands dirty, which Patton loved to tease him about. Strangely, the sprite didn't seem to mind the dirt so much when distracted with a kiss or a smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So Patton kissed him again, on the little white patch covering his left cheek, and convinced Janus to collect all the weeds he'd already torn out. They'd join the small compost crate on the edge of the forest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Janus walked over to it with a heavy, melodramatic sigh, “you better make me a gratin out of those potatoes-” Patton laughed, sending him on his way with a pat of his dirty hands against Janus’ shirt, which he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>just cleaned, Patton</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The sheer audacity,” he complained to the compost crate, “you’d think he’d have grown up in the last fifty years.” But he couldn’t bite back his smile, eyes finding the horizon with a decidedly dreamy sheen. Janus squinted, when a figure between the trees- or two?- broke the picture of the forest he’d lived in for close to half a century.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Darling, I think we might be getting a visitor!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Are you sure?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton stood up, stretching out his back and reaching for his garden hoe. It wouldn’t be the best weapon, if not for the iron top. Human were ingenious, in some ways, and he wouldn't go down without a fight, if She- </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He came to a stop next to Janus. His husband took his hand, squeezing it and calming Patton’s fluttering heartbeat. The two of them watched the figures come closer,  apprehension mixing with fear. Whoever it was, they hopefully wouldn't be able to cross over the thin line of salt rocks around their piece of land. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was unlikely, if the Queen had sent them... </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The husbands exchanged a worried look when the figures turned into two people- dishevelled and panicked people, clinging to each other's hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton discarded his hoe, suspicion turning into worry. Janus wasn't so easily swayed, possibilities of tricks or ploys coming to his mind before the idea of people just needing help. They hadn't kept this place and their life here by helping and believing whoever came along, after all! Even if Patton loved to do just that</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But at that moment they remained still- if they were fortunate, the two strangers would be stopped by the salt rocks placed around their home and they could talk about the thing chasing them safely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the first stranger, a man, black and with shadows curling around his feet, stumbled onto their land without even seeming to notice the rocks. The man behind him, though, pale and in a too-big coat, couldn't cross over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shouted something, obviously terrified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first stranger turned to the two husbands. "Let him in, he- we mean you no harm, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span>." His voice was rough and almost broken with fear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton had already walked forward and broken the barrier.  Janus had been shaken off when he tried to stop him. He wouldn’t even abandon a person in need. Patton caught the paler man in his arms, his brows furrowing with worry at his light weight. "What </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened </span>
  </em>
  <span>to you kiddos?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Looking over them, he only grew more concerned. They both wore ballet costumes, even if one of them was covered by a coat. They were white, decorated with pink carnations and sweet peas, reeking of the flowers with unnatural strength. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew what place they'd fled from before they could say it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We ran from the Queen, and there's no one- no one we could run from and- and," the second man heaved a breath, on his way to a panic attack. The first took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. His eyes were still slightly glazed over, most likely with adrenaline from their escape.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton was already leading them to their cottage, ignoring Janus eyeing the two of them. As if they could pose any danger! </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Come on, just sit down, you two, let's calm down, it's safe here, promise. The Queen hasn't found us here in decades-" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Forty-eight years," Janus corrected softly. He always came around quickly on the lost souls his husband invited into his home; Patton could see the soft worry already growing in his eyes, much as Janus might've wanted to hide it. "And we'd like to hit at least the first half of a century. So do please tell us who you are."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Janus," Patton softly hissed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the first man nodded, seeming to understand the desire to protect a lover, judging by the way he held his partner close. "I'm Virgil." He cleared his throat of the echo it held, the shadows climbing up his ankles sinking back into the floor, "and this is Roman. It's- it's like he said, we fled from the Queen and-" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And we had nowhere to go," Roman finished. He tugged the coat tighter around himself. "We just had to get away from Her- even if that meant running into the jaws of death!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey now, don't talk like that! You will be alright, and if I have to drag you there!" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Darling, that makes no sense," Janus smiled, setting down four mugs of tea onto the table. "I hope you don't mind jasmine?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both men shook their heads, silenced by the reminder of the domesticity they’d interrupted. They didn't move to drink anything. Patton grimaced in sympathy.e knew how hard it'd be for them, to build up any trust in food and drink again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But for now, they simply sat on their table and caught their breath. Patton asked Janus to fetch two sets of clothes, sending him a look while doing so. Janus acquiesced, pressing a kiss to Patton’s temple and nodding to the two strangers-guests, now- before going upstairs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gave himself much more time in choosing the two outfits than he'd usually take, knowing that Patton would want to talk with their new guests. He still kept his ears open. He knew Patton could fight, but he wouldn't let him fend for himself in case the two strangers weren't who they claimed to be. He knew it was an unfounded fear, and yet he couldn't shake it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Downstairs, Patton sent Virgil and Roman a smile. "Are you alright? I know that fleeing from Her can be pretty tough." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil startled at that, eyes narrowing. "No one manage to before," he rasped. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roman frowned at him; they'd discussed the honesty of that statement often enough. And even if Patton was lying, it wasn’t their place to call out any falsehoods if they wanted a place in the man’s house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Patton only shrugged, almost sheepish. He didn’t look like a liar. "Janus and I fled years ago- forty-eight, like he said. But I understand that they'd sweep it under the rug, the Queen doesn't like it when people question her." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roman snorted to himself, dry and without any humour. "You tell me." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton reached out his hand at that, sympathy etched into his face. “I wish I could’ve helped you- I knew She’d replace me sooner or later, and when I heard of someone trying to get away from her grasp…” he’d hoped the spring sprite would manage it. He’d hoped so desperately he’d get to build up a life for himself, with friends and family to love and be loved by. He’d been proven wrong, of course. "It'll be alright now, though, kiddo." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roman nodded, smiling softly and small. “Thank you, I appreciate you saying that.” It would’ve been an empty phrase, from anyone else. But knowing that Patton had gone through the same torture as him? And that he’d gotten out of it and become someone happy, with a husband who loved him so obviously? It was a dream for him still, but this let him know that it didn’t have to remain one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're sure she won't find us here?" Virgil's question interrupted his thoughts. It was laced with a habitual worry that Roman wished he could push away and that Patton wanted to soothe. Roman took Virgil’s hand and Patton assured Virgil that no one could find them here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This part of the forest belongs to another court- the Monarch doesn't care about anyone seeking refuge here, as long as there isn't any infighting. You’ll be safe as long as you stay within their land’s borders." Patton might have only seen Elliot once, but he knew they wanted peace and safety for their subjects above all else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil let out a breath and Roman lost some of the tension in his shoulders. "Might we stay here for a while? Just until we have a place to go- I promise we shall bring no harm to you or your partner."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton couldn't help but smile at the dramatic gestures accompanying Roman's question. The kiddo was obviously meant for the stage; Patton just hoped he'd get to perform there again. "Of course, kiddos, you can stay as long as you'd like-" he raised his finger when Virgil moved to protest- "no arguing that! I want to make sure you don't end up with her ever again, and if that means adopting two new farmhands, then I'll do it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two sprites exchanged a smile, already fond of Patton. Roman, who'd always been bold, might even say he trusted him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Janus returned just a few minutes later, waiting on the staircase for a moment to ensure he wouldn't interrupt any </span>
  <em>
    <span>disgustingly </span>
  </em>
  <span>heartfelt moments. But when he heard his husband talk about his favourite plays, only for Roman to interrupt him, chiming in with his own opinion, he deemed it save to interrupt them. Besides, they obviously ignored the most superior musical work of this season- </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So you will stay after all, only to share such drivel," he asked mildly, pretending to be displeased. The veneer faded as soon as he saw the fear come to life in both their visitors' eyes. He sighed. "I suppose that it wouldn't be so bad as long as you explain your opinion." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton tried to send him a scolding look, but there was too much fondness in it. Janus softened, walking to stand next to his husband and press a kiss to his temple before sitting down next to him. He ignored the look Roman and Virgil exchanged behind his back, instead of putting the bundle of clothes he'd chosen onto the table. “So, Roman? Please elaborate, and I might give you these.”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roman laughed, still nervous, but quickly relaxing. Virgil wasn’t so easy to convince. But he still lost his wariness when listening to Roman talk about plays with Janus and Patton, even chiming in a few times. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Janus was glad to see the two young sprites easing up, so it almost hurt him to say… but the way both men fidgeted with their costumes made it obvious that they abhorred them. He pushed the two stacks of clothes toward them.  "Change, please, you look entirely too theatrical."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They didn't even put up a show of protest, grabbing the new clothes with thanks and grateful looks. "Where-" Virgil had the mind to ask; Janus wondered if Roman would’ve changed in the living room, judging by his abashed expression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Second door to the left," Patton said, before Roman could get too embarrassed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The husbands watched the two sprites flit away. Janus was unable to keep himself from snorting. "They’re so young," he muttered under his breath, hoping they wouldn't hear him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton nodded. "All the more important that we get them a home- if not here," and Janus could tell the sentiment of that alone hurt him, "then with other people who will care about them." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sigh slipped from Janus' lips. "So we have two new lost souls to care for, now?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Please, darling." Patton leaned against his husband, taking his hand to run his fingers over the myriad of scars and the small, white stain slowly growing to cover it, "I know you like to have the house full." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Janus pressed his lips together to stop himself from smiling, instead squeezing Patton's hand. “You cannot prove that." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Patton laughed, kissing Janus' cheek and making him blush with mischievous joy. “Of course, love.” </span>
</p>
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